Photo By Lt. James Griffin | Candidates compete in the swimming portion of the Physical Screening Test (PST) to...... read more read more
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MILLINGTON, Ten. - “It starts with one,” said, Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class, Nicholas Clark, Navy Recruiting Station Santee, Calif. “That person then tells another person and it becomes more of a referral-based system.”
This is an example of how word-of-mouth works when individuals are interested in joining a Navy special warfare or special operations program.
Routinely a prospective applicant walks into a recruiting office and says he will settle for nothing less than to become a Navy SEAL, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Special Warfare Combat-Craft Crewman (SWCC), Aviation Rescue Swimmer (AIRR), or Navy Diver (ND). The recruiting process, however, is different for these rates, and for good reason.
All sailors must be fit and maintain solid academic records, but to become a Naval Special Warfare (NSW) or Naval Special Operations (NSO) sailor in today’s Navy, individuals must possess a strong desire and superb academic scores along with unwavering physical and mental stamina.
The first step of the recruiting process for any future sailor includes talking with a recruiter to discuss qualifications and process to join, then taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, and undergoing a background check and completing a physical.
Additional screening, however, is required for NSW/NSO candidates, which includes taking a Physical Screening Test (PST), meeting with NSO/NSW coordinators at the Navy Recruiting Districts (NRD), and taking a Computerized Special Operations Resilience Test, better known as C-SORT.
The results of the two tests combined are what indicate whether or not a member will qualify.
For example, the PST score is focused on physical fitness, and the C-SORT is more focused on personality and ability to operate in difficult environments.
Although a member is only able to take the C-SORT once, the individual may take the PST a second time to improve his scores. This may improve the overall combined score, which could then support a minimum qualification for one of the programs.
If minimum scores are not met on the PST (Table 1 below), the test will show where the individual needs to work. The evaluation of a candidate in this manner directly relates to the environment in which the individual will perform.
Clark routinely emphasizes the need for team work, and wants his future sailors to push each other to improve their scores.
“At the end of the day you all did well, but you didn’t do great,” said Clark. “You need to work together or you will die. You need to be strong for each other. In the fleet, these rates work in teams, form strong bonds, and they all have each other’s backs.”
Although there are minimum requirements on the PST, this does not mean a candidate will automatically get the rate they are interested in. Those who score at the top will have more options from which to select, so it is highly encouraged that future sailors strive to excel in every way possible up front.
Physical Screening Test Minimum scores Competitive score
Swim 500 yards 12:30 9:00
Pushups 50 90
Situps 50 85
Pullups 10 20
Run 1.5 miles 10:30 9:30
Scores may vary between candidates. Some may perform more pullups but then score lower on the situps. The scores are just a target, but everyone is encouraged to exceed these standards.
“I look for people at the peak of their game, but still want to and can improve,” said Clark.
Athletes tend to have an upper hand in the fitness portion of NSO/NSW screening, but it’s not always the ones who play football.
According to NSO/NSW recruiters, some of the most successful candidates have been swimmers and runners. These athletic skills afford the individual to do better on the run and swim. Candidates must work well together so having experience in a team sport is also an advantage.
The NSW/NSO programs certainly require physical prowess, but also mental toughness and resilience. The C-SORT looks at the future sailor’s personality traits such as goal-setting, self-motivation, and emotional stability.
The C-SORT is combined with the candidate's run and swim times. If the member scores low on the C-SORT, there is no retest. The only way to increase the C-SORT at that point is to improve in the PST.
An NSO/NSW coordinator is an individual who is already serving in a special programs rate and assigned to the NRD. Throughout the entire process the coordinator supports the future sailors who are candidates for the special programs. The coordinator works closely with a NSO/NSW mentor. The mentor is a retired member of the NSO/NSW community who also helps prepare the future sailor for their advanced Navy training.
The coordinator and mentor work at the NRDs but end up traveling quite a bit. Districts have large geographic areas of responsibility so the mentors and coordinators must travel to connect with the recruiters and candidates.
Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Harry Mitchell with NRD Ohio drives to training stations in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
“I’m always in search of stand-up recruits,” said Mitchell. “These are the ones who always want to win and are selfless people who put the team first.”
“It’s all about the candidates,” said retired Lt. Cmdr. Michael Naus, mentor at NRD Ohio. “This process of recruiting creates a lot of competition and these guys need to hit the numbers to be successful. My job is to help them reach their goals.”
In a nutshell, the coordinator and mentor’s job is helping to recruit new future sailors for the NSO/NSW rates and to whip them into shape.
A typical training session with either one of these people begins with the Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling Series (NOFFS) warm-ups, a specially designed exercise routine which includes a combination of nearly two-hour swims, 5 kilometer runs, and full body work-outs.
Overall the training last about two and a half hours, during which both the coordinator and mentors make sure to check in with each of their future sailors to ensure they are still in the game. This helps guide them in the right direction to thrive in their rates.
“Our goal is to help these guys be a success,” said Naus.
The entire recruiting process for NSO/NSW is extensive and has been in place since 2006. To date, the process has drastically increased the retention rate of candidates through graduation from Recruit Training Command (RTC).
The SEALs alone have a more than 91 percent graduation rate, with EOD at 90 percent, SWCC 87 percent, Diver 86 percent, and AIRR have more than 80 percent. This is a dramatic improvement from the first year of the scouting process which produced about a 40 percent graduation rate.
“Out of the eight people I’ve sent to RTC, seven have graduated or are currently still at Great Lakes,” said Clark.
The point is scout recruiting works. It helps future sailors be competitive in order to meet the high demands of the field and make the cut, said Naus.
For more information about Navy Special Operations and Navy Special Warfare rates and requirements log on to, http://www.sealswcc.com/
For more stories and current Navy Recruiting news visit http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2014 15:28 |
| Story ID: | 120835 |
| Location: | MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 1,834 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy Challenge Programs: Part of a recruiting series, by LT James Griffin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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